Abstract

Plum fruits (Prunus domestica L.) have long been known as food for people since ancient times. They are consumed fresh, dried or processed. The increasing consumers’ demand for quality of fruit is a relevant reason to present information about the differences in the chemical composition and the sensory characteristics between the widely spread and newly studied plum cultivars. The present study was carried out in the period 2009 - 2012 at the Fruit-Growing Institute – Plovdiv, Bulgaria on 12 plum cultivars. The results of chemical composition analysis showed that the fruits of ‘Jojo’, ‘Topking’, ‘Topfive’ and ‘Mirabelle de Nancy’ have a total soluble solid above 20 0 Brix. The highest sugar content was found in the fruits of ‘Jojo’. Fruits of ‘Pacific’ have the highest titratable acids content (1.28%) compared to the other cultivars. The highest vitamin C content (11.92 mg/100 g) was determined in the fruits of ‘Stanley’ cultivar. According to the sensory data, fruits of the cultivars ‘Bellamira’, ‘President’ and ‘Tuleu Timpuriu’ were grouped as the most delicious fruits and were regarded as suitable for fresh consumption. The general sensory evaluation showed that the fruits of ‘Bellamira’, ‘Haganta’, ‘President’ and ‘Tuleu Timpuriu’ are excellent in quality and they could be recommended to consumers and traders.